Hood River man missing in southern Baja since Dec. 18

Described by friends as an adventurer, Watson had been hiking in the area east of the Pacific Coast town of Todo Santos. Watson’s white 1994 van was found east of there, and he was last seen getting into a car near La Buerra. Watson told family before Christmas he would be hiking in the area. He is familiar with the Sierras and is described by friends as a competent hiker and outdoorsman.

Watson, a designer with the skateboard company Moonshine, spends his winters in Baja. He is described as 5-10, 145 pounds, with long blond hair and blue eyes.

Brent Foster of Hood River is among 15 Hood River friends who have been searching the Sierras de la Laguna on foot and by car. Foster said Thursday that he has asked the U.S. Consulate for help in convincing Mexican authorities in Baja “to send up a helicopter and ideally send search dogs to assist in the search.”

Foster wrote in an email to American authorities in Baja, “We need the help of the U.S. Consulate to make this a priority for the Mexican government.”

Consulate officials in the Baja town of La Paz have not yet responded to requests for information.

Almost all search efforts to date have focused only on the area to the west of Picacho de Laguna the, peak in between Todos Santos on the Pacific and Los Barrilles on the eastern, Sea of Cortez, side of the peninsula. The trail passes between 7,090-foot Picacho de la Laguna, and 6,818-foot Cerro las Casitas, in the center of the peninsula.

An updated map gives priority to the area just east of the two peaks, to the town of Rancho San Dionisio as “an area with very limited search effort to date, where helicopter search is needed.”

“It is critical to have helicopter search assistance for the eastern route to Picacho which has not been intensively searched yet,” Foster said in his email.

“While Max’s van was found at the trailhead near the La Buerra trailhead on the west side of the Sierra de La Laguna mountains, Picacho can also be accessed from the east side at the trail head called San Dionisio. Max was seen entering a car near where he parks his van near La Buerra and it is possible he got a ride/shuttle to the east side of the mountains to access Picacho from the eastern trailhead San Dionisio. Max’s family and friends have said this is the type of adventure he would do.”

Foster added that San Dionisio canyon, to the east, was searched Jan. 1-3 by about 15 U.S. volunteers with several Mexican guides and volunteers, but volunteers will only be able to cover a small percentage of the area.

“Having helicopter support is critical because of the rugged terrain and sizeable search area,” he told American authorities.